Dyeing apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RNEYS Nov. 3, 1942.

- w. FELBER nmme APPARATUS File d June 22, 1940 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 DYEING APPARATUS William Felber,. Pawtucket, R. L, assignor to The Clark Thread Company, Newark, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,807

'7 Claims. (Cl. 68-464) This invention relates to a novel and improved form of dyeing apparatus, the novel features of which Will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawings, in which I have shown a selected embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the selected embodiments;

Fig. 2 is a vertical view on a larger scale than Fig. 1 showing the upper part of the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, parts being in elevation and parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a View approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View approximately on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus is particularly designed for use in dyeing skeins of yarn or thread and is shown as comprising two tanks I, each of which is cylindrical in shape and both supported upon any suitable base 2. Since each tank and the parts associated therewith are substantially the same as the other, the description will largely be directed to one-half of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Between the two tanks I is a vertically extending column 3 which is in the form of a piston receiving a hydraulic ram 4 which may be operated by a motor 5 which in turn operates a pump 6. The details of the hydraulic ram and its operations are not necessary to an understanding of the invention and therefore will not be more fully described. It is sufficient to say that the ram 4 may be raised or lowered by operation of the motor and pump, together with any suitable valves.

,On the upper end of the ram I is a horizontally extending support 1 which. extends over both of the tanks I. The support carries two motors 8, each adapted to operate the apparatus associated with one tank.

Extending downwardly from the support are two shafts 9, each of which is hollow, as shown, to slidably receive a second shaft I0, which however is splined or otherwise keyed to the firstnamed shaft, as indicated at II. The shaft 9 and consequently the shaft ID may rotate about its axis on the relatively fixed support 'I, and at its lower end the shaft 9 has secured thereto a box-like frame I2, which, as best shown in Fig. 4,

is preferably cylindrical and which rotatably sup- 55 ports a plurality of arms I3 extending radially outwardly away from'the frame and each carrying a skein roller I4. Over each arm may be placed a number of skeins I5 whichmay hang from the roller into the tank I beneath it. Preferably, the second shaft I3 has at its lower end a plurality of radially. extending arms equal in number to the arms I3 and each carrying a skein guide I6 directly beneath a roller I I, although these guides are usually fixed in position and are not rollers. However, they may be formed as rollers if desired or may be omitted altogether, although their use is preferable.

Each arm I3 has thereon a planetary pinion I'I meshing with a sun gear IB which is secured to the hub of a bevel gear I9 rotatably mounted on the shaft 9. Secured to the upper end of the shaft 9 is a second bevel gear 20, and this gear may be driven from the motor 8 by means of a belt or chain 2| running over a pulley or sprocket 22 which is fastened to a shaft 23 which, through suitable reduction gearing indicated generally at 24, may operate a shaft 25 upon which is a bevel pinion 26 meshing with a second bevel pinion 21 rotatable on the shaft 28, upon the other end of which is a bevel pinion 29 meshing with the gear 20.

The pinion 21 may be fastened to the shaft 28 by means of a suitable clutch mechanism 30 operated by a handle 3|. This clutch may take any one of numerous known forms and therefore its details are not important to an understanding of the invention and will not be further described. I

The shaft 25 has at its lower end a bevel pinion 32 which may mesh with either one of the bevel gears 33 or 34 or with neither of them. These two gears 33 and 34 are splined together to a shaft 35 rotatably mounted beneath the support I I and by means of a suitable handle 36 they may be shifted lengthwise of the shaft 35 so that either one may mesh with the pinion 32 or so that I they may be neutral, wherein neither one is driven by the pinion 32. Here again the details of the mechanism for controlling the gears 33 and 34 need not be described, because numerous arrangements are known for causing such an operation. It is suflicient to note that when one of the gears 33 or 34 engages the pinion 32, the shaft 35 will be operated in one direction, whereas when the other gear engages that pinion the shaft 35 will be operated in the opposite direction and, on the other hand, when neither gear engages that pinion the shaft 35 will be stationary.

The shaft 35 has at its opposite end a pinion 31 meshing with a second pinion 38 On a short shaft on which is a bevel pinion 39 meshing with the bevel gear l9 so that when the shaft 35 rtates in either direction, the gear 39 and consequently the sun gear l8 will rotate in a corresponding direction. Thus the sun gear It! may be rotated in either direction or may be held stationary, as the case may be, the normal inertia of the parts just described being enough so as to prevent rotation of the sun gear during the normal operation of the apparatus.

On the upper end of the shaft l9, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, there is secured a rack 49 meshing with a pinion M having a squared head 42 for engagement of a wrench or other suitable tool. Secured to the pinion 4| is a ratchet 43 cooperating with a spring-pressed pawl 44. By this means a wrench may engage the squared head 42 and thus turn the pinion 4| and raise the rack 49 and the shaft l0 sufficiently so as to release the tension exerted on the skeins stretched between or engaging the rollers l4 and guides 16. The pawl will prevent downward movement of theshaft I0, but upon release of the pawl this shaft may drop to its former position so as to exert proper tension on the skeins. Ordinarily, the shaft ID will be raised when the skeins are put in place, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and then a certain tension is placed on the skeins by lowering the shaft I0 and its guide 16.

In operation, the apparatus may be loaded with the skeins by raising the support 1 through operation'of the ram 4 to some such position as shown in Fig. 1, Each shaft in may be raised as just described above, and the rollers and guides may be loaded with skeins. Each skein forms what is in effect a belt extending around a roller and a guide.- After the apparatus is thus loaded, the pawls 44 may be operated to release the shafts Ill so that the guides will exert the desired tension on the skeins and then the ram may be operated to lower th skeins into the tanks. The amount of this lowering may be controlled as known in the art, so as to immerse any desired proportion of the skeins in the dyeing liquid (not shown) in the tanks.

The motors 8 may be continuously operating and, assuming that the gears 33 and 34 are in neutral,- then'the sun gear l8 will be stationary. Now assume that the clutch 3il is thrown in so as to connect the shaft 28 to the motor 8 through the gearing 24, this will cause rotation of the shaft 9 and consequently of the frame [2 and a bodily rotation of that frame about the axis of the shafts 9 and I0. Since the sun gear I8 is stationary, the pinions II will walk around the sun gear and thus cause rotation of the rollers. Thus the skeins will have a bodily movement through the dyeing material in the tanks and at the same time each will move as a belt around a roller 14 and a guide l6.

By throwing one of the gears 33 into engagement with the pinion 32, which of course will be continuously rotating, the shaft 35 may be rotated and thus cause rotation of the sun gear I8. If rotated in one direction, the movement of the sun gear will cause an increase in the speed of movement of the skeins as belts, whereas if the rotation of the shaft 35 is in the opposite direction, then the movement of the skeins as belts may be counteracted and neutralized so that the skeins will merely move bodily through the liquid in a tank as the rollers move bodily about the axis of the shafts 9 and I0.

On the other hand, if the clutch 30 is thrown out, then the arms l3 may be rotated in either direction through the gear selection device 32-3334.

Thus it will be seen that a wide selection of operations is possible and that the apparatus is one which is not disturbed by raising of the support 1. By proper selection of gears, the rollers may be rotated or moved bodily at any desired speed in either direction and, while I have shown certain specific arrangements of gearing, it is of course to be understood that other arrangements may be readily devised by a skilled mechanic. I consider it preferable, however, so to select the gearing as to make it possible to hold the rollers against rotation as the skeins move through the tanks. I am also aware that other changes in details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I also have assumed that the apparatus is to be used for dyeing purposes where it has been found to be particularly useful and it is to be assumed that the tanks 1 will contain a dyeing liquid, although of course the apparatus may be used with other yarn treating steps where it is found to be applicable.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tank, a support disposed above the tank, a shaft carried by the support and extending downwardly towards the tank, a frame secured to said shaft, a plurality of arms rotatable on the frame and extending outwardly from the shaft, each arm having a skein-suporting roller secured thereto, a second shaft extending through said first-named shaft and slidable therein but keyed thereto skein guides on the lower end of said second shaft and each cooperating with one of said rollers to hold a skein, means to raise or lower the second shaft and said guides, and means to rotate said shaft and frame.

2. Dyeing apparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a plurality of skein-supporting rollers having horizontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said axes being angularly disposed about said shaft and said rollers being adapted for collective rotation by said shaft about its vertical axis; means to effect collective rotation of said rollers and vertical shaft about said vertical axis independently of individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes; means to effect individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes independently of collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis; and means to effect a combination of said collective and individual rotation of said rollers.

3. Dyeing aparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a plurality of skein-suporting rollers having horizontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said axes being angularly disposed about said shaft and said rollers being adapted for collective rotation by said shaft about its vertical axis; means carried by said vertical shaft and carrying said rollers to effect collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis independently of individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes; means to effect individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes independently of collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis; and means to effect a combination of said collective and individual rotation of said rollers.

4, Dyeing apparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a plurality of skein-supporting rollers having horizontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said axes being angularly disposed about said shaft and said rollers being adapted for collective rotation by said shaft about its vertical axis; means carried by said vertical shaft and carrying said rollers to effect collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis independently of individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes; means to effect individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes independently of collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis; means to effect a combination of said collective and individual rotation of said rollers; and means to raise and lower said vertical shaft.

5. Dyeing apparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a plurality of skein-supporting rollers having hor izontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said axes being angularly disposed about said shaft and said rollers being adapted for collective rotation by said shaft about its vertical axis; means rigidly secured to said vertical shaft to effect collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis independently of individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes; means rotatably mounted on said shaft to effect individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes independently of said collective rotation of the rollers about said vertical axis; and

- means to effect a combination of said collective and individual rotation of said rollers.

6. Dyeing apparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis,. a plurality of skein-supporting rollers having hori zontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said axes being angularly disposed about said shaft and said rollers being adapted for collective rotation by said shaft about its vertical axis; means rigidly secured to said vertical shaft to effect collective rotation of said rollers about said vertical axis independently of individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes; means rotatably mounted on said shaft to effect individual rotation of said rollers about their horizontal axes independently of said collective rotation of the rollers about said vertical axis"; means to effect a combination of said collective and individual rotation of said rollers; and means to raise and lower said vertical shaft. 7. Dyeing apparatus comprising a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, means riggidly secured to said vertical shaft, said means carrying a plurality of skein-supporting rollers having horizontal axes lying in a horizontal plane, said horizontal axes being angularly disposed about said vertical axis, each of said rollers being provided with a driven planetary gear; a driving sun gear rotatably mounted on said VET- tical shaft and meshing with said planetary gears; means to rotate said sun gear independ ently of the rotation of said vertical shaft; means to rotate said vertical shaft independently of said sun gear; and means to simultaneously rotate both the vertical shaft and the sun gear.

WILLIAM FELBER. 

